Corrosion protection using a sacrificial anode
AssigneeVector Corrosion Technologies Ltd.
InventorsGeorge Sergi, Attanayake Mudiyanselage Gamini Seneviratne, David Whitmore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Corrosion protection of steel in concrete is provided by locating an anode assembly including both a sacrificial anode and an impressed current anode in contact with the concrete and providing an impressed current from a power supply to the anode. The impressed current anode forms a perforated sleeve surrounding a rod of the sacrificial anode material with an activated ionically-conductive filler material between. The system can be used without the power supply in sacrificial mode or when the power supply is connected, the impressed current anode can be powered to provide an impressed current system and/or to recharge the sacrificial anode from sacrificial anode corrosion products.
Claims26
A method for corrosion protection of a metal section in a cast body of an ionically conductive concrete or mortar material comprising:
- providing an anode assembly comprising:
- an impressed current anode;
- and
- a sacrificial anode of a material which is less noble than the metal section;
- maintaining the impressed current anode electrically separated from the sacrificial anode to prevent direct electrical communication therebetween;
- prior to installation, positioning the impressed current anode and the sacrificial anode into an a common assembly, wherein the impressed current anode and the sacrificial anode are fixed at relative positions in the common assembly;
- installing the common assembly, while the impressed current anode and said sacrificial anode are at said fixed positions, in contact with the cast body of ionically conductive concrete or mortar material so as to locate the impressed current anode in ionic contact with the cast body of ionically conductive concrete or mortar material and so as to locate the sacrificial anode in ionic contact with the cast body of ionically conductive concrete or mortar material;
- providing a DC power supply having a first pole and a second pole;
- the common assembly including a first electrical connecting components component connected to the impressed current anode and a second electrical component connected to the sacrificial anode;
- and providing corrosion protection to the metal section by:
- providing a connection by the first electrical connecting components component of the first pole of the DC power supply to the impressed current anode;
- providing a connection of the second pole of the DC power supply to the metal section;
- and
- providing a connection by the second electrical component of the sacrificial anode to the metal section;
- so that the impressed current anode by a current from the DC power supply provides the corrosion protection of the metal section;
- and when the DC power supply or impressed current anode is not present functional a current between the metal section and the sacrificial anode provides the corrosion protection of the metal section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.